1. Field of Invention
The present invention is related to the field of electronic signal splitter and combiners, in particular radio frequency splitters.
2. Description of Related Art
Televisions and computers and other similar devices receive electronic signals from a variety of sources. The primary means to deliver electronic signals is through cables, predominately coaxial cables, which carry a signal from sources such as satellite receivers, land-line cable or roof mounted antennas. Many homes, apartments and offices today have multiple televisions and computers that used these signals. It is not the intent of this invention to discuss how an electronic signal is delivered to a building. The focus of the present invention is upon distribution of an electronic signal once it has arrived at the building. Coaxial cables (coax cables) are the primary method used to carry the source signal from the initial receiving point of the building to the device or device using the signal. In a typical installation, one coax cable delivers the input signal to a signal splitter. This splitter may have any number of outputs. Additionally, downstream of the first signal splitter may be other signal splitters to further the distribution of the signal to other rooms. The coax cable is typically terminated into a standard electrical gang box where the cable is attached to a variety of terminal ends as needed for the receiving device. The additional signal splitters used downstream of the source signal to aid in the distribution of the signal throughout the building are typically installed in crawl space, attics or basements due to the size constraints of the signal splitters, making access to them very inconvenient.
A signal splitter takes one incoming signal and divides that signal into two or more output signals of equal amplitude and equal phase. Among splitters there exist many different types. Some common features of all splitters are that every splitter has an input port, at least two output ports, an electrically conductive casing and a printed circuit board. Coaxial cable splitters can theoretically have an infinite number of output ports.
In the art of conventional coaxial cable signal splitters, many type of devices and designs exist. The size of coaxial cable splitters is limited by at least several design features. One design limitation is the size of the cable connection ports. The coaxial cable has a fixed diameter that therefore the ports connecting the coaxial cable to the splitter casing or box must match the size of the cable. Another design feature causing a required box size for conventional signal splitter is the printed circuit board or PCB inside the splitter box. The PCB of a splitter box contains miniature transformers, also called splitter cores, for each output port as well as other common electrical components. These conventional splitter cores require a volume of space on the PCB and inside the casing.
Still additional design limitation for splitter boxes is the manner in which the circuit board is attached to the splitter box Splitter circuit boards are secured by screws to posts within the splitter box.
Because of the above mentioned design limitations, conventional splitter casings are rather bulky and boxy for their relatively small size. This bulkiness restricts the usefulness of conventional splitters in small places, for example common electrical gang boxes or outlet box. If a conventional splitter is installed in an outlet box, no room is left for other devices, such as a phone jack or modem cable jack. The size of conventional splitter casings places a limitation on where the casings can or cannot be installed.
A further problem with conventional coaxial cable splitters that have many output ports and one input ports is the problem of quickly identifying which port is which by looking at the casing. Many conventional splitter devices have labels on the splitter case itself with the words, “In” and “Out,” however in dark and or tight spaces reading these words can be difficult to see and or read
Still, another deficiency with current splitter boxes is the placement of the ports. Port location is due in large part to the size requirements of the ports themselves and limitations of the placement of the splitter cores on the circuit boards. Current conventional splitter boxes have many port placement configurations such as, the input and all output ports on one surface of the splitter box, or, the input port on one surface and the output ports on a different surface or a combination of input and output ports on a surface with a multiple of output ports on another surface. However, conventional splitters do not have only one output port on a side opposite the input port. This deficiency of not having an output port on a side opposite the input port limits the adaptability of current signal splitters.
Additionally, conventional splitters have a high insertions loss between the input signal and the output signal. Conventional devices also have what is called a return loss for applications, such as Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) or other applications that utilize a reverse path.